Cranberry picker



May 9, O. T ERVQ ET AL CRANBERRY P ICKER Filed May '7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 9, QES. I Q TERVO ET AL LYAW CRANBERRY PICKER Filed May 7, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig S a SO drawings selected embodiment thereof Patented May 9, 1933 unirsi) STATES Are'r OFFICE OSCAR TER-vo, nEOnAsnD, LATE or NORTH wnYr/IOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, BY ANNA yM. `Tien-vo, AnaINrsri-rAra-IX, or NORWAY, MAINE, AND winnen' B. IaAfrnnwsoN, or

NORTH VI'EYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS CRANBERRY PICKER- y Application filed May 7,

This invention relates to cranberry pickers andhas for its general vines. Y Other objects of the invention are to proeidea motor-driven cranberry picker having;l a body provided with picking fingers at its lest-ling or advancingedge together with means for reciprocating said lingers so that as the cranberry picker is moved over the cranberry bog the reciprocations of the fingers serve to strip the berries from the vines wit-hout tearing or injuring the vines.

'Other objects of the invention areto improve cranberry pickers in various ways and inthe particulars hereinafter setl forth.

In order to give an understanding of the invent-ion there has been illustrated in the which will now be described after vwhich the novel features will be pointed out in the ap-V pended claims.,

Fig. l isa side view of a cranberry picker embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view showing the cranberry picker from the opposite side and. with parts broken out to better show the construction Y Y Fig. 3 is a detail showing- 'the means for operatively connecting and disconnecting the motor from the traction members for the purpose of driving` the picker ing it to rest;

Fig. l is a section on the line 4 4; F ig. l;

Fig. 5 isa top plan view of the cranberry. picker; Y

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of thev operative end of the pickingfinger;

Fig. 7 is a side view of Fig. 6J

The cranberry picker herein illustrated comprises a body member l which is formed with the two sides 2'that terminate atthe rear end in handles 3 by which the picker may be n ianipulated. The bottom of the body Vl constituted by a plurality offpicking fingered, these ngers having pointed front ends 5 which are located at the body l and which are curved upwardly slightly'as shown at 6.

object to provide a` novel cranberry picker by which cranberries can be rapidly `picked without injury to the body.

, the locking` forward or `bri'ngfront edge of the Y 1932. serial No. 609,917.

The body is supported port herein shown asu a roll 7. This roll 7 has a shaft 2l journalied in arms 24 that are pivotally connected at their forward ends to bracket arms 15 secured to the under side'of the frame. The rear ends of the arms 24 are connected byrods 25 to the body l and the connection is preferably an adjustable one so as to provide for raising or lowering the body relative to the roll. v

As herein shown each rod 25 is connected at its upper end 'to an Varm 26 fast on a shaft 27 which extends' transverselyv through the At one end this shaft 27 is provided with an upstandinp; arm 28 to which is con` nected a link29 that .extends rearwardly to a point within convenient reachof the han.

dlesv 3 and has its rear end downturned as shown at 30 to provide a handle by which it may be manipulated. One of the side pieoesiof the body is provided with a toothed locking member 3l with .whichl the Vdownturned end-30 of the connection 29 may be interlocked. By unlocking the rod 29 from plate 31 and moving it forwardly the body will be lowered relative to the traction roll 7 and by moving said rod rearwardly the body will be elevated relative to the traction roll. By this simple construction the handles of the body may be placed at the elevationmost convenient for the particular. operator whois running` the cranberry picker. 'Y

uringthe picking operation vthe body is rolled 4forward on its lsupport'to thrust the ends ofthe fingers into the vines 'andthen the `body may bey tipped about its "rolling support to elevate the fingers somewhat thus stripping theberrie's from the vines; `The roll 7 is in .the form `of a vtraction roll- ,by which the cranberry picker is. propelled 'forward and it is herein shown as Vbeingdriven from a suitable motor 8 inthe form of an which 1s supportedrnnderneath the body by means of supinternal combustion engine sprocket chain Vl2. This sprocket-vV chain On a rolling` sup# meshes with a sprocket wheel 1 3 fast on a shaft 14 which eXtends transversely of the body and is ournalled in two bracket arms 15 depending from opposite sides of the body. On ythe opposite end of the shaft from that which carries the sprocket 13 is a belt pulley 16 which is belted to a pulley 17V by means of a driving belt 18. The pulley 17 is shownas mounted on a stud shaft 19 that is ournalled in an arm 20 that is pivotally mounted on the shaft 21 of the roll 7. rIhis stud shaft 19 has fast thereon a gear 22 which meshes with an internal gear 23 formed on the interior of the roll 7. The motor thus drives the shaft 14 and the latter drives the stud shaft 19 through the belt 18 and the stud shaft 19 drives the roll 7 through the gear 22, 23.

The driving connection between the motor 8 and the traction Wheel 7 is rendered operative or. inoperative by. tightening or loosening the belt 18 and this can be accomplished by lmerely shifting the arm 20 forwardly or rearwardly. If the arm 2O is moved forwardly or to the left in Fig. 2 this will carry the pulley 17 toward the-pulley 1G and will slacken-the driving belt 18 sufficiently so that no power will be transmitted from the pulley 16 to the pulley 17. By swinging the arm 20. 'backwardly or to the right Fig. 2 the belt will'be tightened so that the driving power will be transmitted from the pulley '16.to the pulley 17 and thence to the traction wheel 7.

To actuate the arm 2O to slacken or tighten the belt there is provided a link 32 which is pivotally connected at one end to the upper end of the arm 20 and at its rear end is connected to an arm- 33 fast on a rock shaft 34 40'y which. is journalled in the side of the body. This rock shaftA 34 has a handle 35 extending therefrom within convenient reach of the operator. Y

When the belt is sufficiently slack so that no power is transmitted from thebelt 13 to thepulley 17 the handle 35. will rest against a stopy 36. Vhenever the operator wishes to advance the cranberry picker to cause the fingers 4 to Vbe thrust into the vines he will bear downwardly on the handle 35 which will move the rod 32 rearwardly thereby tightening the belt 18 more or less. Ifthe belt is partially tightened the traction roll 7 will be driven forward slowly because more orless slippage willoccur between the belt 18 and the'pulleys 16,17 and by increasing-the tightness of the belt so as to reduce the slippage the.

speed of forward movement of the traction roll 7 will be increased. 'By this simple means, therefore,y the operator can control readily the speed lof the traction wheel and hence the speed of movement of the cranberry picker over the bog.

In using the cranberry picker the operator willcause the bodyv to be driven forward a short distance sufficient to thrust the ends of the fingers 4 into the vines and then he may bear down on the handles 3 and raise the front end slightly and then repeat these operations.

One feature of the present invention relates to means for vibrating the fingers 4 in the direction of their length as the picker is moved forward andas the fingers are being thrust into the vines by ksuch forward movement. The fingers are shown in rdotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2 in their intermediate position and during their reciprocation they are moved forwardly from their intermediate position into the left hand dotted line position Fig. 2 and rearwardly into" the right hand dotted line position in said figure. In other words,v each finger 4 vibrates from one dotted line position to the other during the forward movement of the cranberry picker.

In the construction herein shown these picking fingers are divided into two groups and the fingers of each group reciprocate simultaneously but in an opposite direction to the fingers of the other group. In the c ypreferred embodiment of the inventionthe alternate fingers 4 constitute one group and so thatduring the -reciprocating movementof the fingers any two adjacent fingers are moving in opposite directions and hence inone extreme position the alternate fingers will pe projected forwardly to the left hand dott-ed line position Fig.v 2 while the other fingers will be retracted rearwardly into the right handdotted line position in said figure. In other words, the fingers in each extreme position will have the arrangement-shown in Figs.6and7.

kBy giving the fingers this reciprocating movement as lthe body is advanced over the bog-said fingers will feel theirway through the vines and strip the berries therefrom without appreciably` injuring or tearingthe vines. v

Various means'for thus'reciprocating the picking fingers-4 may be provided for. As herein shown the lingers are secured to and!V supported by cross bars 37, 38, 39 and 40 eX- tending underneath the body butv movable relative Vto the side walls. These barsfare supportedat their ends on flexible suspenders 41 which arefsecured at their upper ends to the upper ends of the sides 2 as shown at 42. The alternate fingers 4 are bolted or otherwisexsecured to the two-bars 37, 39'and they remaining fingers are bolted or screwed to the other bars 38 and 40. The fingers 4 are thus heldin position to form the bottom of the body butv are capableV of` movement in the direction of their length relative to the sides 2. v

For reciprocating the fingers the shaftf14 is provided at each end with two cranks 43,

lll 0 The cranks 43 are connected by links 45 to the bar 39 while the cranks 44 are connected by links 46 to the bars 40. Hence as the shaft 14 is rotated from the engine the cranks o hence with this device it is possible to pick the cranberries without injuring the vines. The cranberry picker 1s provided with means for supporting a box 4S at the rear cnn of the fingers into which the berries may be deposited. This box is illustrated as beine' carried b su ortinoarms 49 secured toVV and during the movement of the endless chain device in the direction of the arrow Fig. 2 the brushes serve to carry the berries along the vibrating fingers 4 in the direction of their length and to push the berries off the upper ends of the fingers from whence they will drop into the box 48.

The rear shaft 52 has a sprocket wheel 54 fast thereon that is geared by means of a sprocket chain 55 to aV sprocket wheel 56 on the engine shaft 10.

The shaft 14 is shown as having a roll 57 fast thereon which is provided with spiral ribs 5S. rlhese ribs incline in opposite directions from the center of the roll and the purpose of this construction is to provide means to assist in laying the vines down flat after the berries have been stripped therefrom and before the traction roll rolls over them.

What is claimed.

l. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body, of a rolling support therefor,

a plurality of picking fingers at the forwardV edge of the support, and means to vibrate the fingers as the support is moved forward over the vines.

2. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body having at its forward edge a plurality of picking fingers, of a rolling support for the body, and means to vibrate the fingers in the direction of movement of the body.

3. In a cranberry picker, the combination directiony of their length with adjacent fin-v gers moving in opposite directions. l

5. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body comprising two sides and a bottom formed of separate picking fingers, of a rolling support for the body, means to propel the rolling support forward, and means .to vibrate the fingers in the direction of their length. y l 1 v6. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body comprisingY sides and picking fingers forming the bottom of the body, of a rolling support for the body, a motor carried by said body, means actuated by the motor to propel the rollingv support forwardly, l

and means also actuated by the motor to vibrate the fingers in the directionof their length.

7. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body comprising sides and picking f fingers forming the bottom of the body, of a rolling support for the body, a motor carried by said body, means actuated by the motor to propel the rolling support forwardly, and means also actuated by the motor to vibrate the fingers in the direction of their length with adjacent fingers moving in opposite directions.

8. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body comprising sides and picking fingers forming the bottom of the body, of a rolling support for the body, a motor carried by said body, means actuated by the motor` ried by saidvbody, means actuated by the' motor to propel the rolling sup-portforwardly, means also actuated by the motor to vibrate the fingers in the direction of their length, a receptacle carried by the body, and

an endless chain device actuated by the mo.

tor and carrying brushes to convey the picked berries from vthe picking end 4of the fingers into said receptacle.

10.'InV a cranberry picker, the combination with a body having picking fingers at its forward edge, of a traction roller on whichlthe body is supported, means for propelling the traction roller, and means for raising and lowering the body relative to the traction roller.

11. In a cranberry picker, the combination with a body having picking fingers at its forward edge, of a traction roller supporting the body, a, motor carried by the body, driving connections between the motor and the traction roller includingv a driving belt, and means Ato subject the belt to different degrees of tightness thereby to control the speed of movement of the traction roller. A

12. In va cranberry picker, the combination with a body having picking fingers at its forward edge, of a traotionroller on which the body is supported, avinotor carried by said' body, operative connections between said motor and traction rollercomprising a pulley constantly driven by the motor, a seoondpulley inountedeocentrically of the traotion roller but geared thereto, a driving'belt `connecting saidv pulleys, and means for shift- 'Gili ing the Vposition of said second pulley to render the driving belt operative or inopera-v` tive.

In testimony whereof we have signed our naines to this specification. 1' Y Y ANNA M. TERVO, Administratie@ of the Estate of Oscar Terno,

Deceased. l Y WI-LFRED B. MATHEVVSON. 

